A novel course concept to enable master's degree students to acquire research skills is described as an experience report. A hybrid, inquiry-based format was developed to simulate each phase of writing and presenting a research paper at a scientific conference. Students self-organized into groups to conduct each phase of the research process to…

This paper describes changes in German higher education as a consequence of the reunification of East and West Germany, focusing particularly on personal evaluation of East German faculty and assessment of their scientific expertise. An introduction reviews the major historical events that have shaped the current situation. The paper states that…